Workplace Ethnography
This auto-ethnography will examine my personal experiences working in various roles within the Australian corporation, Woolworths, over the course of the last five years; focusing primarily on the similarities and differences I’ve been witness to within different divisions of the company. My aim is to provide an insider’s perspective that outlines the culture of the company by examining its’ structure, purpose, values and practices. Using my own observations I will look at individual roles, training techniques, hierarchy of authority and management-employee relations as well as compare and contrast the organisational demographics, extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, and implicit and explicit norms with relation to many relative organisational theories. By examining these areas of the business through my observations and understandings I believe it will provide sufficient insight to the inner workings of the organisation.
Woolworth Limited is a major leading Australian retail company, comprised of multiple divisions to provide consumers with quality, range, value and everyday low prices on a wide variety of products (Woolworthslimited.com.au, 2014). Woolworths was founded in 1924 with its first store opening its doors in Sydney, but now consists of 3,000 stores spread across Australia spanning business areas from food and liquor to petrol or home improvement. As well as employing staff in stores the company also has numerous support offices and distribution centres around the country which is the foundation of the retail service it provides to the general public (Woolworthslimited.com.au, 2014). In 2009 I applied for a part time position with my local Woolworths supermarket as a store person; though over time with the company I’ve have been moved through departments from my initial position as store person to service cashier, followed by a move into BWS one of the corporations other branches, before finding myself in the Melbourne Liquor Distribution Centre
Woolworth Limited is a major leading Australian retail company, comprised of multiple divisions to provide consumers with quality, range, value and everyday low prices on a wide variety of products (Woolworthslimited.com.au, 2014). Woolworths was founded in 1924 with its first store opening its doors in Sydney, but now consists of 3,000 stores spread across Australia spanning business areas from food and liquor to petrol or home improvement. As well as employing staff in stores the company also has numerous support offices and distribution centres around the country which is the foundation of the retail service it provides to the general public (Woolworthslimited.com.au, 2014). In 2009 I applied for a part time position with my local Woolworths supermarket as a store person; though over time with the company I’ve have been moved through departments from my initial position as store person to service cashier, followed by a move into BWS one of the corporations other branches, before finding myself in the Melbourne Liquor Distribution Centre
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